Fantasy: 2017 Wide Receiver Primer
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Wide Receivers
Drafting high-end talent at wide receiver has become the safest play for fantasy owners in the early rounds, but championships are won by those who correctly identify breakout stars while avoiding potential landmines.
With each roster undergoing some form of adjustment in the offseason, let's recalibrate what we know about every fantasy-relevant receiver.
It's important to remember that these primers are not intended to be tiers for drafting. You can view our complete wide receiver rankings here.
Top billing
Antonio Brown, Steelers - Brown is the best receiver in the game, but he fails to get own category due to the injury history of his quarterback. Ben Roethlisberger misses time every year, with Brown's stats always taking a slight hit.
Julio Jones, Falcons - Few players can take over a game the way Jones does. Over the last three years, he's averaged 1,624 yards per season. The Falcons might experience a Super Bowl hangover, but Jones will be immune.
Odell Beckham Jr., Giants - Beckham generates a lot of headlines on and off the field, but the 24-year-old is playing at a Hall of Fame level. Don't let the noise distract you from drafting the best young receiver in the game.
Not far behind
Mike Evans, Buccaneers - Evans has been a one-man army for the last few seasons, but the cavalry has arrived in the form of DeSean Jackson and O.J. Howard. While his targets may decrease slightly, Evans should be more efficient with less defensive attention coming his way.
A.J. Green, Bengals - A hamstring injury was the only thing that stopped Green from attaining his sixth straight 1,000-yard season. Prior to being sidelined in November, he was on pace for 1,542 yards.
T.Y. Hilton, Colts - Hilton led the NFL in receiving yards in 2016 and projects to be near the top of the league once again.
New contenders
Amari Cooper, Raiders - Entering his third season, Cooper will be just 23 years old, and already has two 1,000-yard campaigns to his name. He's only scratched the surface of his abilities. If the Raiders begin to use him more in the red zone, he could join the elite at his position.
Michael Thomas, Saints - As a rookie, Thomas maximized his talent by dedicating himself to learning the Saints offense and building a rapport with Drew Brees. That's exactly the kind of player fantasy owners should invest in.
Davante Adams, Packers - Adams had a breakout campaign, scoring 12 touchdowns and showing he can hold his own in the Packers offense. It helps to catch passes from Aaron Rodgers.
Hoping to rebound
Sammy Watkins, Bills - Tyrod Taylor has shown great chemistry with his young star wideout. All Watkins needs to do stay healthy and he'll be a WR1.
Demaryius Thomas, Broncos - Thomas was an elite fantasy receiver prior to last season, when he barely broke 1,000 yards and was held to five touchdowns. With Mike McCoy back as offensive coordinator, Thomas' fantasy value should return to form.
DeAndre Hopkins, Texans - Someday we will look back at Hopkins' career and wonder what happened during his subpar 2016 season. The answer - Brock Osweiler.
Allen Robinson, Jaguars - The Jaguars' offense cratered last year and Robinson was unable to avoid the disaster. His numbers did turn around late in the year when Doug Marrone took over as head coach, something fantasy owners will need to hope continues into this season.
Still going strong
Jordy Nelson, Packers - Over his last two full seasons (2014, 2016) Nelson has averaged 97.5 receptions, 1,388 yards, and 13.5 touchdowns. Anyone worried about his age (32) is going to miss out on one of fantasy's best receivers.
Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals - Fitzgerald began preparing his body for a long career when he first entered the league, much like Jerry Rice before him. It's paid off, as the soon-to-be 34-year-old has caught 216 passes over the last two years.
Michael Crabtree, Raiders - Crabtree, who turns 30 in September, has put up excellent numbers since he donned the Silver and Black and is an underrated WR2 in fantasy.
Change of scenery
Alshon Jeffery, Eagles - Jeffery finally gives Carson Wentz a true No. 1 receiver. Let's hope the decision to sign a one-year deal was Jeffery betting on himself and not the league shying away from a player with a history of injuries and a recent suspension on his resume.
Brandin Cooks, Patriots - Cooks joins a Patriots offense loaded with talent, but Bill Belichick wouldn't have made the trade if he didn't have a vision for his newest weapon.
Pierre Garcon, 49ers - Garcon is reunited with his former Redskins offensive coordinator, Kyle Shanahan, who is now the head coach in San Francisco. Last time they collaborated, Garcon was a target monster, something that should be in the cards again.
Terrelle Pryor, Redskins - Pryor is making a seamless transition into the Redskins' receiving corps, with the only real threat to his production being the development of Josh Doctson.
DeSean Jackson, Buccaneers - D-Jax carries a boom-or-bust element every week, but there will be plenty of big games playing with a young, exciting offense in Tampa Bay.
Brandon Marshall, Giants - Can Marshall's 2016 drop-off be explained by injuries and bad quarterback play or was it a sign the six-time Pro Bowler has lost a step? Remember how fast Andre Johnson fell off a cliff.
Kenny Britt, Browns - Britt cashed in after a surprisingly impressive year with the Rams. If Corey Coleman continues to be held back by injuries, Britt will settle in as the main receiving option in Cleveland.
Jeremy Maclin, Ravens - The veteran wideout didn't waste much time before latching on with the Ravens, where he has a strong chance to be Joe Flacco's preferred target.
Eric Decker, Titans - Decker has a new home in Tennessee, where he will add punch to a Titans passing attack that is much improved over a year ago. Injuries limited Decker to three games played in 2016, but he's reportedly healthy now and should once again be a red-zone monster.
Seeds of doubt
Keenan Allen, Chargers - After being sidelined for a season and a half, Allen returns to a much different Chargers receiving corps. Allen is no longer the only show in town and his numbers are likely to decline due to the increased talent around him.
Dez Bryant, Cowboys - Injuries have prevented Bryant from eclipsing 800 yards in either of the last two seasons, limiting him to just 21 games during that time. Unlike Tony Romo, Dak Prescott doesn't seem as committed to forcing the ball Bryant's way.
Kelvin Benjamin, Panthers - Benjamin bounced back in 2016 after missing a full year due to injury. It appears he may have another hurdle to climb after arriving to the Panthers' offseason program well over his playing weight.
Annually underrated
Mike Wallace, Ravens - Despite being written off every year, Wallace continues to produce for fantasy owners. Wallace has finished as a top-30 fantasy receiver in seven of his eight NFL seasons.
Doug Baldwin, Seahawks - Baldwin was unable to repeat his out-of-this-world touchdown total from 2015, but remains the unquestioned leader among Seahawks pass-catchers. He's posted back-to-back seasons as a WR1 in fantasy.
Emmanuel Sanders, Broncos - Sanders has been a steady WR2, despite being overshadowed by his teammate Thomas.
PPR stars
Jarvis Landry, Dolphins - No receiver in NFL history has more receptions through the first three years of their career than Landry's 288.
Golden Tate, Lions - Tate has topped 90 catches every year since joining the Lions. There's no reason to think that will change in 2017.
Julian Edelman, Patriots - Edelman's connection with Tom Brady will continue to be strong, but the volume of passes coming his way is almost certain to decline with the arrival of Cooks and the return of Rob Gronkowski.
Opportunity knocks
Tyreek Hill, Chiefs - The decision to let Jeremy Maclin go had to be at least partially inspired by Hill's outstanding rookie season. Andy Reid has already slated Hill as the team's new top receiver, which makes him highly enticing in fantasy.
Stefon Diggs, Vikings - Diggs claims a groin injury slowed him down for most of 2016, a year in which he posted 84 receptions, 903 yards, and three touchdowns. It begs the question, what's a healthy Diggs capable of?
Martavis Bryant, Steelers - If he stays on the field, Bryant is a surefire fantasy starter with weekly WR1 upside. Drafting him involves risk though, since he's a misstep away from another lengthy ban.
Willie Snead, Saints - Snead has fallen just shy of 1,000 yards two years in a row. With Cooks no longer on the roster, Snead will see an increase in targets and is a sneaky threat to enter the WR2 conversation.
Donte Moncrief, Colts - It's clear Moncrief is one of Andrew Luck's favorite weapons around the end zone. Now he needs to prove he can rack up yardage to go with his lofty touchdown totals.
Jamison Crowder, Redskins - Jordan Reed is the centerpiece of the Redskins' offense according to their head coach, but Crowder has a chance to carve out a significant role in the short to intermediate passing game.
Robert Woods, Rams - The Rams gave Woods a sizable contract in free agency, putting him in a position to soak up targets. His upside is capped playing with Jared Goff, but sometimes volume is all you need in fantasy.
Quincy Enunwa, Jets - With Eric Decker shown the door in New York, Enunwa becomes the de facto top option. The Jets are clearly tanking, which could lead to a ton of garbage time production.
Cameron Meredith, Bears - A thumb injury will keep him out until training camp, but Meredith profiles as the only Bears receiver worth investing in this season.
Ted Ginn Jr., Saints - The speedy wideout specifically chose New Orleans in hopes Drew Brees would help extend his career. Smart decision.
Time to shine
DeVante Parker, Dolphins - Sometimes it just takes a year or two before a young player understands what he needs to do to succeed. If the reports are true, Parker has figured it out, but will need to overcome a run-first offense and a limited quarterback if he's going to break out.
John Brown, Cardinals - Brown was a rising star prior to last season when issues with his sickle cell trait limited him all year long. The team believes his health is restored entering 2017, which puts him back on the path to being a fantasy starter.
Breshad Perriman, Ravens - The Ravens have praised Perriman throughout the offseason, which could mean he's ready to make good on the first-round pick the team spent on him or be a sign they're trying to get his confidence up. Either way, the snaps will be there if he proves worthy.
Josh Doctson, Redskins - One of the best receivers in the 2016 draft class appears to be healthy. If the positive reports coming out of OTAs continue into the preseason, Doctson will be in position for a breakout.
The new class
Corey Davis, Titans - Davis is the only rookie receiver who has a legit chance to start as his team's No. 1 option, though Eric Decker could have something to say about that. He isn't going to win you a fantasy title, but Davis could be a solid WR3 in his first year.
John Ross, Bengals - The lightning-fast receiver will need to earn his stripes by starting out third or fourth in the Bengals' pass-catching pecking order.
Mike Williams, Chargers - The rookie landed in a tough situation, where he will need to fight for snaps and is now dealing with a back issue that is expected to keep him out until training camp.
Don't forget about us
Randall Cobb, Packers - Cobb has faded behind Nelson and Adams, but is capable of putting up a week-winning performance any given Sunday.
Adam Thielen, Vikings - If Thielen can hold off sophomore Laquon Treadwell and reclamation project Michael Floyd, he could challenge for 1,000 yards this season.
Rishard Matthews, Titans - Matthews' monster 2016 campaign wasn't enough to lock down the Titans' No. 1 receiver job. Instead, the team went out and drafted Davis fifth overall and then signed Eric Decker, likely relegating Matthews to a complementary role.
Jordan Matthews, Eagles - Matthews will see a lot more competition for targets this season, but the Eagles' offense should also be more efficient with the added talent.
Tyrell Williams, Chargers - Replicating his breakout season won't be easy with Allen back in the lineup and Mike Williams in the mix. If the rookie's back issues hold him out, Tyrell might maintain his fantasy relevance.
Kenny Stills, Dolphins - Stills might be in for some touchdown regression after scoring nine times on just 42 receptions last season. The presence of Landry, the possible emergence of Parker, and the arrival of tight end Julius Thomas could combine to limit him.
Failure to launch
Corey Coleman, Browns - It's beginning to seem like Coleman might be falling out of favor in Cleveland. Head coach Hue Jackson essentially challenged his young receiver's toughness, and injuries continue to cause him to miss time.
Marvin Jones, Lions - Jones looked like a WR1 early in 2016, but injuries limited him the rest of the year. It's possible a healthy Jones could reproduce his numbers from the first month of last season, but the arrival of rookie Kenny Golladay might prevent that from happening.
Kevin White, Bears - We need to see White on the field and healthy before we can trust him in fantasy, and the reports about his recovery have not been inspiring.
Sterling Shepard, Giants - Shepard had moments as a rookie, but the arrival of Marshall and tight end Evan Engram don't bode well for his fantasy outlook.
Tyler Lockett, Seahawks - Lockett has the talent and athleticism to become a star. Unfortunately, he's been unable to establish himself as a consistent weapon. If Paul Richardson cracks the starting lineup in Seattle, Lockett could face even more competition for targets.
Catch you by surprise
Will Fuller, Texans - After a strong start to the season, Fuller disappeared. The hope is that a new quarterback will help the entire Texans passing attack get back on track.
Kamar Aiken, Colts - The former Raven will challenge Phillip Dorsett to start in three-receiver sets. In an Andrew Luck-led offense, it's a position that could lead to production.
Chris Conley, Chiefs - It's unlikely Alex Smith will be able to support two quality fantasy receivers, in addition to tight end Travis Kelce, but with Maclin out of the picture, Conley could finally see meaningful snaps.
Fantasy Primers
- Quarterbacks
- Running Backs
- Wide Receivers
- Tight Ends
- Defenses
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)